"What is my mission? What is my brand story?"
They say that a dream without a plan is just a wish. That a goal is a dream with a plan and a deadline.

We're going to say that a business without a dream, a goal, a plan, and a deadline is a mess.

A well developed brand strategy ties all of these essential elements together for your business. It refines your why (your overall vision and dream) and your what and when (specific goals on a specific timeline) before nailing down the how with a long-term plan that moves you toward achieving your goals.

It can feel like an tremendous undertaking, but once your brand strategy is clearly defined it provides a framework to follow. Your day to day decisions and path to success will become easier and more clearly defined as well.

For this week's episode of the Businessese Influencer Marketing Podcast, we were super excited to sit down and chat with Stacey Ferguson about building a digital brand strategy and so much more. Stacey has hit legend status for those who have been immersed in this space for some time: she started blogging in 2006 about being a working mom and attorney on Mama Law, before co-founding the Be Blogalicious conference and networking community celebrating diversity in social media. She's now an influencer coach, media personality, digital brand strategist, content creator, public speaker, and Chief Curator of the Be Blogalicious community and conferences.

Listen in to hear us discuss:

* how Blogalicious has evolved along with influencer marketing— and what's in store this year for its 10th anniversary
* Stacey's "recipe" for running a successful event
* what has changed the most in influencer marketing over the last decade
* the importance of brand strategy for influencers, as well as knowing your audience
* tips for crafting better pitches
* how to give a full picture of the value you've provided a brand
* something you probably should have done six months ago to boost productivity and revenue
* the components of your personal brand that Stacey finds essential for a sustainable revenue stream

They're hiring you, at the end of the day, so that they can show a return on their investment. That you're a great marketing resource for the brand. And so I want influencers to be extremely professional.

-Stacey Ferguson
There's a ton of topics to chew on when it comes to building your brand strategy—join us over in Businessese HQ on Facebook to share your questions, progress, and flashes of brilliance!

Resources:
Stacey's website: JusticeFergie.com
Be Blogalicious
Rockstar Influencer Program
The Hobbit and Little Women